


Strange Magic

by SchalaDresdan



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Fluff, Grand Prix Final Banquet, Illustrated, M/M, Post-Banquet, Shapeshifter Victor, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:52:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18081587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SchalaDresdan/pseuds/SchalaDresdan
Summary: Victor Nikiforov has a "condition." Whenever he gets too nervous or flustered, he turns into a rabbit. Somehow, despite all of the challenges of being a top professional figure skater, Victor has managed to keep his secret. But then, at the Sochi Banquet...Yuuri Katsuki clung to Victor and asked him to be his coach. And what happened next would change both of their lives irrevocably.Featuring art by Antares





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is for the 18+ On Ice White Day Mini Bang. Antares and I chose 'Magic AU' as our prompt, which is what lead to this cute little "Victor shapeshifts into a rabbit, but only when he is nervous and he can't really control it" fic. 
> 
> Antares is responsible for the adorable art. It helped inspire me as I wrote, since she was done long before I was.

 

The Grand Prix Finals  
Gala Banquet  
Sochi, Russia

_I don’t think that I have ever had this much fun in my entire life…_

Victor watched in awe as his best friend, Christophe Giacometti, circled the pole with Yuuri Katsuki. His eyes widened at the sheer athleticism the two exhibited. _I… should learn to pole dance._ He gulped heavily at the sight of the scantily-clad Japanese man.

_I’m jealous…_

_But then again, he did dance with me earlier._ Victor smiled at the memory of the dance, and how it felt to be in the other man’s arms. _He held me like he cherished me. Like I was something worth holding on to._

Victor could feel the blush in his cheeks. He took a deep breath, tearing his eyes away from Yuuri. _I need to calm down. I don’t need to have an incident here. There are too many potential witnesses…_

Suddenly Victor felt someone throw their arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Victor went stiff as he looked down into Yuuri’s drunken face. Victor’s eyes were wide in surprise.

_What is he doing?!?_

Yuuri swayed against Victor in a suggestive manner as he slurred out, “Victor… After this season ends, my family runs a hot spring resort, so please come.”

Yuuri let go of Victor as he looked up into Victor’s face. His eyes were wide and bright as he asked, “If I win this dance off, you’ll become my coach, right?”

Victor started at the request. Before he had time to process it, Yuuri hugged Victor again as he said, “Be my coach, Victor!”

Victor’s eyes grew wide as he blushed. _I… want to say yes… Should I?_

Victor opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as he felt a distinctive itchy feeling in his nose. _Oh no, not now…_

His eyes flitted towards the door as he stammered out, “I have to go. I’m sorry.” Victor managed to extract himself from Yuuri’s arms, and made a beeline for the door. The itching intensified.

_I need to find a secluded place. I don’t have time to get back to my room before…_

Victor sneezed. He hurried around a corner and prayed that the hallway beyond would be empty. There was a pressure in his chest, one that he was much too familiar with. A quick glance down the hallway showed that it was thankfully empty.

Victor could feel his body shrinking. He sank down to the floor, and waited for the change. _Ever since I was a teenager, any time that I get overly stressed or flustered, this happens to me. I hate this! And why did it have to happen now?_

_I had a chance. I wouldn’t have had to be lonely anymore…_

Victor felt his body change. _At least it doesn’t hurt. I don’t know if I can handle it if it did. It’s bad enough without pain. And why do I change into a rabbit, of all things?_

Victor’s heart beat rapidly. He looked around, trying his best to control the rabbit’s natural panic instincts. _I’m fine. It’s fine. I need to calm down so that I can change back._

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. Victor let out an irritated puff of air, his best imitation of a human sigh. _I need to find some place to hide. If someone finds me like this, they will probably kick me out of the hotel, or call animal control._

Victor hopped quickly down the empty hallway and into the lobby of the hotel. It was mostly empty at that time of night. Victor noticed a large planter in the middle of the lobby. _There. I can hide there._

He hopped towards the planter and managed to hide within the foliage without being noticed. As he wiggled under the large leaves of a plant, he saw Christophe enter the lobby. _Oh, I bet he’s looking for me. Should I…? He is the only one that I’ve ever told about this…_

Chris searched the lobby area. He walked over to the planter, his eyes scouring the thick foliage. “Victor, are you in there?”

Chris clicked his tongue in irritation. “How hard is it to find a silver rabbit in a hotel?” He scratched his head. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he didn’t change? But he looked so panicked when he left the ballroom, I thought for sure…”

Victor stood stark still, hoping that his hiding place would shield him from Chris’s gaze. _I’m sorry, Chris. But I don’t want to be found. Not yet._

_I’m too embarrassed._

Victor barely breathed as Chris continued to search the lobby. It was nearly 30 minutes later when the man gave up and headed to the elevators. Victor let out a breath and allowed his body to relax. _Finally. I thought he was going to find me for sure. But now what? I can’t change back, not yet. I still feel too… out of sorts. I guess I’m stuck like this until morning. I should try to get some sleep…_

 ***

At some point in the night, Victor had managed to doze off. He woke in the morning, as the sounds of the hotel started up in earnest. He yawned sleepily as he watched guests checking out of the hotel. The ringing of the desk telephones were harsh on his rabbit ears. He flattened them against his head and narrowed his eyes in irritation.

_I can’t seem to get the magic to cooperate this morning. What is wrong with me? I’ve never been stuck for this long before. I just want to change back and go home. A long, hot bath followed by cuddling with Makkachin on the couch is exactly what I need right now._

Victor’s breath caught as he noticed a guest walking towards the front desk. _It’s Yuuri. I wish I could have spent more time with him last night… If it wasn’t for this curse…_

At the counter, Yuuri set his backpack on the floor. He grasped his head like it was hurting. _Oh, he probably has a hangover. He did drink a lot of champagne last night. Wait… his backpack is partly open…_

_I wonder if I could…_

_I shouldn’t. I should stay here, and wait until I can turn back. But what if…_

Victor hopped out of the planter and hurried across the lobby floor. He jumped through the opening in the backpack, wriggling into the bag. His heart was thumping in his chest. _This is ridiculous. I can’t do this. I’ll get caught for sure._

_But if I don’t, I can spend some time with Yuuri._

***

The Next Day  
Detroit, Michigan

Yuuri groaned as he closed the door to his bedroom. He set his backpack on the floor and rolled his suitcase out of the way. “Man, I’m so tired. I hate these long international flights.”

Yuuri sat on the bed and pulled his backpack closer to him. He unzipped it and reached in, searching the bag for his cell charger. His hand touched something furry and warm.

Yuuri screamed. He snatched his hand back in horror. _There’s… there’s something alive in my bag! And it’s big… God, did a rat get in there? I touched a rat!?!_

Phichit slammed the door open. “What is it? What happened?”

Yuuri pointed down at his backpack. “There’s something in there…”

Phichit quirked an eyebrow in question. “There’s something in your backpack?”

Yuuri nodded. “I touched something. It was furry… I think it was alive…”

Phichit grabbed the backpack, pulling the zipper back all of the way. “I swear to God, Yuuri. If you managed to bring back a Russian rat by accident… Oh, wait. It’s a rabbit.”

Phichit delicately scooped up the small silver rabbit and pulled it out of the backpack. It’s small body was shaking in fear as Phichit held it up for Yuuri to see.

Yuuri asked, “How did a rabbit get into my bag? And how did he manage to get through security and customs?”

Phichit shook his head. “I don’t know. What are you going to do with him?”

Phichit handed the rabbit to Yuuri. “Me? Why do I have to decide what to do with him?”

“He snuck into your backpack. So what are you going to do with your little Russian rabbit?”

Yuuri stroked the soft silver fur of the rabbit. “Um, I guess I’ll keep him? We already have your hamsters, so it should be okay, right?”

Phichit nodded. “We can do some research and figure out how to take care of him. And you’ll have to decide what to call him.”

Yuuri nodded distractedly. “Gin.”

Phichit chuckled. “You’re seriously going to call him that? Isn’t that the Japanese word for silver?”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“No.”

“Then Gin it is.”

Yuuri smiled as he continued to stroke the rabbit’s soft fur. “He might not be Vicchan, but at least I have something.”

Phichit walked over to Yuuri and gave him a tight hug, careful not to squish the rabbit. “I’m sorry about Vicchan, Yuuri.”

Yuuri nodded as a few tears fell from his eyes. “Thanks, Phichit. I know eventually that it won’t hurt as much. But right now, I just… I miss him. And I wasn’t even there to say goodbye. I mean, I just feel like he was waiting for me to come home, and I never…”

Victor tried to snuggle closer to Yuuri. _Poor Yuuri. Was Vicchan a pet? It sounds like it. He must have been important to Yuuri._

Phichit sat down on the bed next to Yuuri. “I know, Yuuri. But you couldn’t bring him here. It’s too expensive to bring a dog in to the United States like that. And then trying to find an apartment? I don’t think it would have been possible.”

Yuuri nodded as he scrubbed his face with his arm. “I know. I don’t have the sponsors to afford things like that. I can barely afford my coaching fees and my college tuition. If only…”

Phichit sighed and rolled his eyes. _Oh, boy. Here we go again…_

Yuuri continued. “If only I was as good as Victor. He’s the four-time world champion. He’s won Olympic gold, and numerous Grand Prix Finals. He’s a living legend… And I’m just a dime-a-dozen figure skater.”

“Says the guy who qualified for the Grand Prix Final.”

Victor nodded his head slightly. _His friend is right. Only six men even qualify for the Grand Prix Final. How could he possibly think he is ordinary?_

“Says the guy that came in _last_ at the Grand Prix Final. I really screwed up, Phichit. And then to top it all off, Victor didn’t even realize that I was a competitor. He asked if I wanted a photo with him. Like I was a fan.”

“Yuuri, you _are_ a fan.” Phichit stuck his tongue out slightly. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

Yuuri groaned. “I know. But… I really wanted him to see me as an equal.”

Victor’s ears twitched slightly as he thought. _He thought I didn’t recognize him as a competitor? I’ve just gotten so accustomed to the other competitors asking for pictures that I just assumed… And why is he talking like that? Does he not remember the banquet?_

_What if he doesn’t? He drank an awful lot of champagne. What am I going to do if he doesn’t? I can’t change back yet, he would only freak out. I have to figure out what to do. For now, I’ll have to stay a rabbit._

Victor snuggled closer to Yuuri’s chest. He started to purr, a sound of contentment that caught him a little off guard. _I’m purring… I don’t think I’ve ever done that before…_

Phichit laughed when he heard the soft sound. “It looks like Gin likes you, Yuuri.”

Yuuri smiled softly. “Yea, it does. I guess having a pet would be nice. And he is big enough that I shouldn’t have to keep him in a cage.”

Phichit added, “But small enough that the landlord won’t freak out.”

Yuuri nodded enthusiastically. He looked down at the rabbit cradled in his hand. “I guess that settles it, then. I’m not sure where you came from, or how it is that you ended up in my backpack. But welcome to your new home, Gin.”


	2. Chapter 2

One Week Later

Yuuri was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his social media. He sighed. _All-Japan starts in about a week. I’m not ready to go, not after the disaster at the Grand Prix Finals…_

A notification popped up on his phone. “Oh, there’s a new article about Victor…”

**_“Four-Time World Champion Figure Skater Victor Nikiforov Missing”_ **

Yuuri started as he read the headline for the article. “Victor is missing?”

He clicked on the link and waited anxiously as the article loaded. Yuuri held his breath as he started to read:  

_“Saint Petersburg, Russia_

_Coach Yakov Feltsman, in a press conference earlier today, announced that Victor Nikiforov, the highly decorated World Champion figure skater, has been missing for the past week. Mr. Nikiforov never boarded his return flight from Sochi, Russia, where he was attending the Grand Prix Final competition. The police in Sochi found no evidence of foul play. His disappearance is being treated as a missing person’s case…”_

Yuuri cried out, “I can’t believe that this is really happening. Victor can’t be missing, right?”

Victor hopped closer to Yuuri, rubbing his leg comfortingly. _I’m not missing. I’m right here._

Yuuri looked down at Victor. He smiled. “Aww, Gin. Are you trying to make me feel better?”

He leaned down and picked Victor up, putting him on his shoulder. “I just don’t get it, Gin. Victor has everything. He’s on top of the world. Why would he just… disappear?”

Victor rubbed his head against Yuuri’s cheek. _I don’t have everything. You have no idea how lonely it is…_

Yuuri rubbed Victor’s fur gently. “Victor is… amazing. He’s the reason that I work so hard.”

Victor made a little noise in the back of his throat, the closest sound that he could make to a human sound of disbelief.

Yuuri replied, “I mean it, Gin! You would understand if you saw him skate. He’s amazing. There’s a reason why Victor has been the World Champion for the last four years running.”

“His skating is so beautiful, so expressive. I’ve admired him ever since I first saw him skate. All I have ever wanted was to skate on the same ice as Victor, and for him to see me as an equal.”

Victor let out a small puff of air. _I already see you as an equal, Yuuri. How do I explain it? It is like your body creates music when you skate. I’ve never seen a more expressive skater in my life. If you could just manage to land your jumps, you would beat me…_

Yuuri sighed. “Unfortunately I’m just average. I still don’t know how I qualified for the Grand Prix Finals. I think that everyone can agree, based on my performance, that I didn’t belong there…”

Victor’s eyes narrowed. _What? Why is he always so down on himself? He is a very talented skater. He just had a bad day. And now that I know why…_

_Why in the world did you still compete after you learned that your dog died?_

Victor nudged the bottom of Yuuri’s chin with the top of his head. Yuuri laughed. “Thank you for trying to make me feel better, Gin.”

“But I’m afraid that, after that disaster of a free skate, that I might not do well at All-Japan.”

Yuuri rubbed Victor’s ears gently. Victor leaned into the touch. _That feels really good…_

Victor heard himself start to purr. _I never purred before I met Yuuri. But before him, I always spent any time that I was a rabbit miserable and alone. A few times, Chris found me and took care of me until I could change back. But he never treated me the way that Yuuri does._

_Of course, Yuuri thinks that I’m actually a rabbit. If he knew the truth…_

_I don’t think that Yuuri could handle it._

“I’m afraid that my anxiety will get worse at All-Japan. And I can’t afford for Celestino to go with me this time. It will be one of the assistant coaches instead. I don’t know if they will know how to help me if I start to…”

“God, I hope that I don’t have a full-blown panic attack at the competition…”

Victor purred louder as he pushed against Yuuri’s hand. _He has panic attacks? Poor Yuuri. His anxiety must be really bad…_

_I wish there was something that I could do to help him. If I really did start to coach him, would I be able to help him through his anxiety? Or would he be better off staying with Celestino? He’s worked with Yuuri for some time now, and he knows how to help him through this._

Victor shook his head slightly. _No, I can learn. I can research how to help him. Just as soon as I change back. Now that I know, I can find out how to help Yuuri._

Yuuri smiled slightly as he stroked Victor’s soft fur. _Keeping this rabbit was a good idea. I don’t know what it is about Gin, but it almost seems like he understands what I’m saying? And he wants to comfort me? It’s a nice feeling…_

_It’s almost like having Vicchan back._

***

A Few Days Later

Yuuri looked up from the couch when he heard the jingle of keys, and the turning of the door lock. Phichit opened the door to the apartment, carrying a poster tube under his arm.

“You got a package, Yuuri.”

Yuuri scrambled off of the couch and rushed over to Phichit. “It came? I thought it wasn’t supposed to come until tomorrow…”

“If you don’t want it, I’ll just keep it…”

_“NO!”_

Phichit laughed as he handed over the poster tube. “Which one is it?”

Yuuri clutched the tube to his chest posessively. He lowered his head and mumbled, “The Stammi Vicino costume…”

Phichit whistled appreciatively. “Yea, that’s a nice costume. But that routine seems so sad…”

Yuuri nodded. “I looked up the lyrics to the song. The routine fits. But I agree. I wonder who it is that Victor is asking to stay close to him?”

Victor’s ears twitched as he listened from across the room. _That routine wasn’t for anyone in particular. But now that I’ve met Yuuri, he’s who I want to stay close to._

Yuuri shrugged. “I don’t know. I follow all of his social media accounts, and he’s never mentioned anyone. I don’t think he is in a relationship.”

Phichit grinned. “Who knows, maybe you made an impression on Victor?”

Victor nodded slightly. _Yes!_

Yuuri looked down at the floor and mumbled, “That’s not funny, Phichit…”

Victor’s ears went up in surprise. _What? He’s acting like he doesn’t… like we didn’t…_

“Victor thought I was a fan, remember? And I was too embarrassed to approach him at the banquet. So that is the only interaction that I’ve had with Victor. Some impression, right?”

Victor felt like he had been punched in the gut. _What? Does he not remember the banquet? He did have a lot to drink that night… Is it possible that he doesn’t remember dancing with me? Or asking me to be his coach?_

_This… complicates things…_

Yuuri clutched the poster tube tighter to his chest. “I’m just going to…”

Phichit laughed. “Go on. Figure out if you’re putting up your new poster or not.”

Yuuri nodded as he rushed towards his bedroom. Victor hopped along behind him. _Yuuri has a lot of my posters up already. I wonder how many he has?_

Yuuri took a box cutter out of his desk drawer and used it to carefully cut away the tape holding the poster tube shut. He opened the end and carefully extracted the poster, rolling it out on the floor. He picked up his tape dispenser and stapler off of his desk and used them to hold down the ends as he admired his new poster.

“Victor looks so handsome in this costume. Let’s face it, he looks handsome in anything.”

Victor hopped up to the poster and sniffed at its edges.

Yuuri chuckled. “Be careful, Gin. I don’t want any little bunny chew marks on my poster. Or are you trying to tell me that you like Victor, too?”

Victor looked up at Yuuri. _I wouldn’t chew on it! I actually like this poster. The photographer did a fabulous job. Unlike some of the hacks I’ve worked with in the past…_

Yuuri sat down on the floor and reached under the bed. He pulled out a large black portfolio, big enough for poster sized prints. Yuuri glanced around his room. “Maybe I should change things up a bit? I’ve had the same posters up for a while.”

Yuuri flipped through the portfolio book. Victor hopped closer to get a better view. _How many posters does he have of me? I noticed that all of the posters in his room are of me, and he seems to have some other merchandise of mine as well. But I had no idea that he had this many…_

_Wait! I remember that photo shoot! That is one of my favorites!_

Victor put his paw on the print, stopping Yuuri from turning the page. The poster was from several years ago, and showed Victor in a pair of rolled up jeans and a black long sleeve t-shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He was barefoot, and posing casually on the beach in Saint Petersburg. He was grinning widely.

_I was happy then. I was coming off of my first World Championship. I felt like I had it all._

Yuuri tilted his head slightly as he studied the poster. “Do you like this poster, Gin? I should put it up. I forgot that I had this one, honestly.”

Victor hopped out of the way as Yuuri slid the poster out of the portfolio. “Now, where to hang it?”

Victor hopped over to a poster showing his free skate costume from two years ago. He put his front paws on the wall underneath it, as if he was trying to reach it. _I hated that costume. It was uncomfortable, and, despite Yakov’s assurances that it would suit me and the routine, I don’t feel like it represented me well at all. I hope Yuuri takes the hint…_

Yuuri wrinkled his nose. “I think you’re right, Gin. That costume definitely was not one of Victor’s best. Let’s take it down, and put this one up instead. And then I can decide what else should come down so that I can put up the Stammi Vicino poster.”

Victor hopped out of the way as Yuuri started to carefully take down the poster.

Yuuri sighed as he pulled the poster strips off of the old poster. “I wonder what happened to Victor? I haven’t heard anything else about his disappearance. I assume that means he is still missing?”

Yuuri gasped as a sudden realization hit him. “What if he misses the Russian Nationals? That would mean… Did something terrible happened to Victor?”

Victor’s head came up in alarm. _He’s genuinely worried about me? I can’t be the source of more anxiety for him. The poor guy has it bad enough, to the point that I’m afraid that he won’t win his Nationals. Even though he’s such a talented skater. One of the best I’ve ever seen…_

Victor took a deep breath as he settled his head on his paws. _I’ll have to change back. Tonight._


	3. Chapter 3

The room was dark and quiet. Yuuri was sleeping peacefully in the bed, the covers pulled over his sleeping form. Victor took a deep breath.  _ It’s time. He’s finally asleep.  _

_ I couldn’t transform in front of him. I’d be too embarrassed. I’ve never transformed in front of anyone before. _

Victor closed his eyes and reached for the magic deep within him. He felt a familiar pressure in his chest.  _ Thank God. It seems like the magic is finally going to cooperate. _

Victor’s body slowly grew larger, shedding its silvery coat. The grey suit he had been wearing at the banquet nearly two weeks before appeared in its place. Victor stood slowly, stretching out his body.  _ I should be careful for a bit. I stayed a rabbit for such a long time, and I’m not sure how it might have affected my human body. _

He moved to sit in the chair in front of the desk.  _ Now what? Should I let Yuuri sleep? Or should I wake him? _

Victor felt the sneeze before it happened, but was powerless to stop it. He covered his mouth with his hand, in an attempt to muffle the sound, but to no avail. The light fixture on the ceiling rang with the force of his sneeze. Victor glared at the offending light.  _ Damn that side effect. Why does the magic make my nose itch so badly? _

Yuuri stirred in his sleep. He rolled over towards the source of the noise. “Phichit?”

Yuuri opened his eyes. He looked towards the source of the noise, his eyes focusing on the figure seated at his desk.  _ That’s… that’s not Phichit… _

Yuuri’s eyes grew large in disbelief as he opened his mouth and cried out in fear.

Victor stammered out, “Yuuri, please…”

The door crashed open and Phichit busted in, hair disheveled and half clothed. His eyes were wide in alarm. He stopped in the door and took in the scene, looking back and forth between Yuuri and Victor.

“Um, Yuuri? Why is Victor Nikiforov in your bedroom?”

Yuuri squeaked out, “I… I don’t know…”

Victor rested his fingers on his forehead.  _ This is not going according to plan. Even though, I have to admit, I should have foreseen this. _

“I can explain.”

Phichit leaned against the doorframe. “We’re listening.”

Yuuri reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his glasses. He put them on his face and stared at Victor in disbelief.

_ There is no way that  _ **_the_ ** _ Victor Nikiforov is really here in my bedroom, right? This has to be some kind of weird dream. It can’t be real… _

Victor took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  _ How do I explain this? And will he believe me? I’m not sure that I would, if I were him… _

“I have a condition…”

“What?” Yuuri squeaked out the question, an edge of fear in his voice.

Victor waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing to worry about. It is just… inconvenient at times…”

Phichit arched his brow. “And what condition is that?”

Victor looked down, his hands moving anxiously as he mumbled, “Sometimes, when I get nervous, I turn into a rabbit…”

“That’s not funny.”

Victor’s head snapped up. “It’s true!” He looked at Yuuri, his eyes imploring. “”You have to believe me…”

Yuuri stared at Victor in silent shock.  _ How am I supposed to believe a story like that? It is so far-fetched. Stuff like that only happens in fairy tales, right? There is  _ **_no way_ ** _ that Victor actually turns into a rabbit, is there? _

Phichit scoffed. “You really expect us to believe that  _ you’re _ Gin? That you smuggled yourself here in Yuuri’s backpack? And then spent two weeks as a rabbit in our apartment?”

Victor nodded slowly. “That’s right.”

Phichit crossed his arms over his chest. “Prove it.”

“I can’t turn into a rabbit on command. The magic doesn’t work that way.”

_ How am I going to convince them that I really am Gin? Is there something that I can use…? _

_ Oh, that’s it! _

“You got a new poster today, didn’t you, Yuuri?”

Yuuri nodded his head slowly.  _ Wait, how does he know that? Was it a lucky guess? _

Victor hummed softly. “The Stammi Vicino costume. It is one of my favorites. My designer outdid herself with this one, don’t you think?”

He shook his head slightly before he continued. “But Gin helped you pick out another poster to put up today, didn’t he? The one of me standing on the beach?”

Yuuri squeaked a little as he blurted out, “How… how did you know that…?”

Yuuri’s face turned pale as the realization hit him.  _ Oh God… Victor really is Gin?!? _

He scrambled up from the bed and sprinted to the bathroom. Victor winced as he heard the door lock turn.  _ Oh, that did not go as planned. Now what? _

Phichit sighed. “Um, Victor? I think it might be best if you go to the living room for a while, and let me talk to Yuuri.”

Victor nodded slowly. “Of course.” He stood carefully, his movements slow and careful as he made his way out of the bedroom.

Phichit approached the bathroom door and knocked quietly. “Yuuri, I made Victor leave. Come out and talk to me.”

Yuuri’s voice came through the door. “I can’t come out. I can’t face him, Phichit.”

Phichit groaned as he rested his forehead against the door.  _ It is far too early in the morning for this. Why me?  _ He asked, “Why can’t you face Victor?”

“You don’t understand! He’s Gin! And I told Gin everything…”

“Everything?”

Yuuri groaned. “ _ Everything…” _

Phichit pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “So, are you planning on spending the rest of the night locked in your bathroom? Cause that’s not going to solve anything, Yuuri.”

“I know. I just… need some time?”

Phichit sighed heavily. “Ok. Want me to stay?”

“Please?”

Phichit settled onto the floor, turning so that his back rested against the door. “Then I’ll stay here until you are ready to come out.”

“You’re the best, Phichit.”

***

Victor sat down on the couch, allowing his body to sink into the worn cushions. He leaned back, resting his head against the back of the couch.  _ How did it end up like this? I was too impulsive… I should never have snuck into Yuuri’s bag. I should have just returned to Saint Petersburg and… _

He let out an annoyed sigh.  _ And what? He doesn’t remember the banquet. He wasn’t going to reach out to me. Not after what he thought happened. I have to figure out a way to fix this. _

He could hear the muffled sound of Phichit taking in Yuuri’s bedroom.  _ I guess that Yuuri is still locked in the bathroom? Then I should just wait. Maybe I can come up with something in the meantime. _

***

Victor started awake. Pale light shone through the window.  _ I fell asleep?  _ Victor groaned softly as he tilted his head up.  _ Ouch, I should have at least laid down on the couch instead. But I thought that Yuuri would come out… _

His eyes grew wide as he noticed the figure standing in the hallway. “Yuuri?”

Yuuri’s hand was wrapped around his elbow, his head down as he shuffled into the living room. Yuuri mumbled, “Um, I’m sorry…”

“What? What do you have to be sorry for?”

Yuuri sighed, his whole body sagging in exhaustion from the motion. “I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you. And for freaking out, once I did…”

Yuuri looked up, his eyes wide. “But you really  _ are _ Gin, aren’t you?”

Victor nodded slowly.

“Why me?”

Victor smiled. “You’re the reason that I turned into a rabbit.”

Yuuri’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “But I thought that you said that only happens when you get nervous?”  _ What could I have possibly done that would make Victor nervous? I didn’t even talk to him! _

“It was at the banquet.”

Yuuri gasped. “The banquet…?”  _ I can’t remember what happened at the banquet. What did I do? _

“Whatever I did, I am so sorry… I don’t remember what happened. Just tell me what I did so I can apologize properly.”

Victor smiled warmly. “You have nothing to apologize for, Yuuri. I had the time of my life.”

“But… but you said that I made you nervous…” Yuuri felt lightheaded as he attempted to process everything.  _ What could I have possibly done to make Victor Nikiforov nervous? _

Victor put a finger to his lips as he thought. “Perhaps nervous was the wrong word? It was more like… you caught me off guard?”  _ I can’t think of the right word for it in English… _

_ How can I tell him that, when he asked me to be his coach, it felt like… like a door opened to something I have been missing for far too long… _

Victor cleared his throat as he patted the cushion next to him. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Yuuri groaned as he walked towards the couch, his face turning red with embarrassment.  _ There’s pictures?!? I’ll never be able to live this down. _

Yuuri sat down next to Victor gingerly, careful not to touch him. Victor frowned slightly as he noticed the space that Yuuri left between them.  _ I wish that he would move closer… _

_ But it may be for the best to not push it right now. _

Victor unlocked his phone, opening it to the picture app.

As Victor was searching for the pictures, Yuuri asked tentatively, “Um, how is it that you have your phone?”

Victor shrugged. “I don’t know? The magic transforms my clothes, and anything in my pockets too. Since I almost always have my phone in my pocket, it gets transformed with me a lot…”

“Honestly, I don’t really know how or why the magic works.” He tapped on a picture and held out the phone to Yuuri. “Here is the start of the banquet photos.”

Yuuri took the phone, holding it carefully as he scrolled through the photos. Victor leaned over to look as well. “As you can see, the night started off tamely enough.”

Yuuri nodded numbly as he scrolled through selfies of Victor with Christophe, Mila, and Yuri. He could see himself in the background of some shots, drinking glasses of champagne one after another.  _ He means that it was tame before I drank myself into oblivion… _

Then he came across a picture of him dancing, an open bottle of champagne in his hand.  _ Oh, God…  _ Yuuri asked quietly, “Who gave me that?”

Victor thought for a moment. “We’re not really sure? Christophe and I discussed it, actually. He thinks you took it from a waiter. But neither of us saw it, so…” Victor shrugged.

Yuuri’s cheeks burned as he continued to scroll through the pictures.  _ I really went crazy this time. This is why I shouldn’t drink… and this time Phichit wasn’t there to keep me out of trouble. There is no telling what… _

“Please tell me that isn’t what I think it is…”

Victor grinned as he saw the picture in question. “You challenged Yuri to a dance off.”

Yuuri groaned, his blush deepening as he scrolled through the pictures.

“Why are you embarrassed? You won.”

Yuuri looked up at Victor in surprise. “I did?”

“Of course! You are an incredible dancer. I can tell that you have had training.”

Yuuri looked down, away from Victor. He mumbled out, “Thank you?”

Victor took the phone from Yuuri, scrolling through until he found a certain photo. “Mila took these for me. Look.”

He showed the photo to Yuuri. In it, they were in each other’s arms, smiling blissfully. “You asked me to dance. And it was the most fun that I have had in a long time.”

“Is… is that what made you…?”

Victor shook his head. “No, that was later. When you hugged me tightly and asked me…”

Yuuri covered his face with his hands. “God, what did I ask you?”  _ What embarrassing thing did I ask Victor for when I was drunk? _

“You asked me to be your coach.”

Yuuri stared at Victor in shock. “I… asked you… to what?”

Victor smiled softly. “You asked me to be your coach. And if this strange magic of mine had not interfered so abruptly, I would have said yes.” Victor tilted his head to the side slightly. “Do you still want me to?”

Yuuri felt like he was going to pass out.  _ I asked Victor to be my coach? And he is actually considering it? He wanted to say yes?  _ “Is that why you snuck into my bag?”

Victor nodded. “Honestly, I was disappointed that our evening was cut so short. I wanted to get to know you better. So I acted impulsively. And I am sorry for that.”

“Don’t be.”

Yuuri summoned up all of his courage and looked Victor in the eyes. “I… I’m glad that you decided to sneak into my bag and come to Detroit with me. I wouldn’t have remembered anything about the banquet otherwise. And… if you think you still want to be my coach, maybe we could try it after this season?”

Victor nodded. “Of course. You wouldn’t want to switch coaches in the middle of the season. Until then, maybe we could talk?” He smiled as he added. “I want to get to know you better.”

Yuuri’s eyes grew wide. “Really? But you already know a lot about me… ”  _ I told you so much when I thought Gin was just a rabbit… Or… is he maybe implying what I think he is implying? Is he interested in me? Like that? _

Yuuri turned his head away slightly.  _ No, there is no way that he sees me like that. He’s Victor Nikiforov, and I’m just a dime-a-dozen figure skater… He could have anyone that he wanted, so why would he want me? _

A gentle hand on Yuuri’s cheek moved his face back towards Victor. Yuuri reluctantly met his eyes. Victor said softly, “Yuuri, please? I want to see where this goes, if you are willing.”

Yuuri felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest.  _ Victor wants to see where this goes… What is ‘this’ anyway? Do I dare try? If it works… Oh, God, if it works… But if it doesn’t… _

_ It will hurt like Hell when he leaves. _

_ But what if he doesn’t leave? What if it works? It’s worth a try, right? _

He nodded hesitantly. “I think… I want to see where this goes, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcome. Or you can come say hello on Tumblr: [ schaladresdan](http://schaladresdan.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Also, check out the rest of Antares' art on her Twitter account: [ antarespromise](https://mobile.twitter.com/antarespromise).
> 
> And if you are over 18 and looking for a good Discord server to hang out, talk about YOI or life in general, and maybe get involved in fun events like this one, check out the [ 18+!!! On Ice](https://discord.gg/jRXfSXc) server.


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